


Together we can take it higher

by Salander7



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV), Juliantina - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But not that much, COVID, Dating during quarantine, F/F, Fluff, Juliantina, Mutual Masturbation, Phone Sex, Smut, quarantine au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salander7/pseuds/Salander7
Summary: Valentina and Juliana meet via a dating app during quarantine in New York City.Quarantine AU one-shot.
Relationships: Juliantina - Relationship, Valentina Carvajal & Juliana Valdés, Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Comments: 32
Kudos: 212





	Together we can take it higher

**Author's Note:**

> Glinder is a made up app. I don't really know anything about Tinder or dating apps or dating during quarantine, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. Enjoy!

_Ugh. Seriously? So...I’m supposed to be alone... indefinitely?_ Valentina sat on her bedroom floor with her back against her bed, her thoughts thrumming. It was March 13 and the city officially started lockdown for quarantine against this stupid virus sweeping the globe.

 _I need liquor. And maybe a quarantine buddy?_ Her next thoughts shiftly wildly to possible people she could hole up with. _But Guille has Renata...Nayelli...no, I would kill her after one day. And Lucio? Ew. No._ Valentina shook her head and grabbed her planner.

 _This is fine. Everything is fine. I’ll use this time to re-focus on myself._ She felt a small flick of energy flare up inside her as she started to make a schedule for herself. _I’ll do yoga in the mornings, swim in the afternoon. I can finally get through that stack of books on my nightstand_ … she looked over to the small pile and to the larger collection on her bookshelves, half of which remained on her ever-growing ‘to be read’ list.

Quickly deflated, Valentina sighed and dropped her head back against her bed.

*****

On the other side of the city, Juliana frowned at the lockdown announcements being broadcasted on the local news. _Seriously? How am I supposed to pay the bills if I can’t wait tables? What a mess._

She quickly tired of the news and turned off the TV, plopping herself on her worn leather couch with a heavy sigh.

 _At least I don’t have to deal with angry customers. Or anyone really. I can lay in my bed and watch Netflix and read_... Juliana smiled then, remembering that, most days, all she really wanted was to be left alone. _Maybe quarantine won’t be so bad afterall._

  
*****

  
Valentina’s attempt at a schedule lasted all of 2 days before she found herself desperate for human interaction. She called her brother, her dad, and even her sister, but felt like she was already going out of her mind not being able to pursue her typically vibrant social life of friends and brunch dates.

After trying - and failing - to occupy herself with books and television, she started scrolling aimlessly through social media threads on her phone. At some point, an ad for a new dating app scrolled across the screen. It was one of those ads she usually ignored, but this time, likely from sheer boredom, she stopped scrolling. A lightbulb popped on in her mind: _human interaction? I mean. Could be fun to talk to someone new… not like I have anything better to do._

Before she could talk herself out of it, Valentina signed herself up for Glinder with very low expectations. Her first 30 minutes of perusing the app sadly matched those expectations. She had to admit that it at least provided some needed entertainment. _What is UP with those poses?_ She thought as she laughed at the weirdly staged selfies and overly inflated egos. She was surprised that the girls were almost as cringe-worthy as the guys. _I never realized being bisexual simply meant twice the disappointment_ , she thought to herself as she continued to sip the wine from the large glass in her free hand.

She was nearly about to give up for the evening when she came across a tanned brunette in cut-off shorts and a cropped top under a loose-fitting button down. Something in the relaxed way the girl carried herself and the radiant smile on her face stopped Valentina’s scrolling.

She clicked on the girl’s profile. The brevity of it only piqued her interest further.

Juliana V.  
26\. She/her.  
Interests: Photography, sunshine, women, food  
Dislikes: Ignorance. And sometimes spiders.  
What is home to you?: Home is Mexico, the smell of my mom’s cooking, and a warm bed.

Valentina hovered over the button for a moment, realizing it was the first profile she didn’t instantly roll her eyes at. A second passed, then she swiped right.

*****

  
Juliana heard her phone buzz after coming out of the shower. She picked it up and laughed when she saw which icon popped up with the notification, one she had long forgotten about. After a couple awkward dates and a potential stalker, she hadn’t used the dating app in almost a year and forgot it was even on her phone.

She opened the message and almost dropped her phone when she saw the picture of the leggy, blue-eyed woman staring back at her through the screen.

She rolled her eyes. _This must be a scam._ She clicked on the profile and thought twice.

Valentina C.  
28\. New York|Mexico  
Interests: Swimming, sushi, having more books to read than time to read them.  
Dislikes: Quarantine.

As she continued scrolling through the profile, a message popped up from the girl herself.

 **Valentina C:** Hi - I’m new to this thing... Your profile says you’re originally from Mexico - so am I! So...I thought I’d say hello. So. Hi.

Juliana stared dumbfounded at the screen. She looked up from her phone and scanned her apartment as if someone was going to jump out and reveal she was being punked. She put her phone down and got dressed before returning, hesitantly, to her phone. _What’s the worst that could happen?_ she thought as she sat at the edge of her bed.

 **Juliana V:** Hey - yes - I’m from Oaxaca originally. What about you? How long have you been in New York?

Dots appeared almost instantly.

 **Valentina C:** CDMX  
**Valentina C:** I’ve been here for 5 years. I work for a book publishing house and it just made the most sense for me to be in this city. You?  
**Juliana V:** About the same amount of time. I’m a photographer. And also a waitress because... Well, because I’m a photographer living in this city.

Valentina smiled.

 **Valentina C:** Got it. Are you quarantined here or back in Mexico?

Juliana briefly remembered the almost stalker and hesitated with her answer. She quickly shrugged it off remembering it would be impossible for this girl to find her right now.

 **Juliana V:** Here. You?  
**Juliana V:** I wish I had thought of going back sooner… quarantining on the beach definitely sounds much better than this.

 **Valentina C:** I’m here, too. And yes - what were you thinking? ;)

Juliana wasn’t sure where else to take the conversation. She was never great at small talk and wasn’t sure if virtual dating was better or worse for that.

More dots appeared after a few silent minutes as if the other girl read her mind.

 **Valentina C:** ...I’m not great with small talk. Honestly, this whole thing is just lonely and I can’t believe it’s only been 2 days.

Juliana smiled softly at the honest remark.

 **Juliana V:** Ha - I’m not one for small talk, either.

Valentina’s smile faded at this, thinking the interaction would end there. Until the next message popped up.

 **Juliana V:** So maybe let’s not do that. Let’s make BIG talk.  
**Juliana V:** Tell me your story, Valentina C.

Valentina’s smile returned. Unconsciously nibbling on her lower lip, she began to type.

*****

They messaged back and forth daily over the next week and a half. Across chat boxes and phone-sized screens, they wrote each other the stories of their lives - about how they arrived in this city, what they were looking for then, how it evolved as they aged. They talked about things that scared them and scarred them. They talked about their favorite books, embarrassing stories from college, and the possibilities that excited them about the future.

The conversation flowed seamlessly, to the surprise of Juliana and delight of Valentina. Neither of them knew if it was just the isolation or something unique about the person on the other end of the text message, but they both gladly accepted easy friendship.

 **Valentina C** : So Juliana. What do you say about taking this to the next level?

Juliana bit the inside of her cheek, curiosity peaked.

 **Juliana V:** ...what did you have in mind?  
**Valentina C:** Well - what if we exchanged numbers and maybe… talked on the phone! Dun dun dun.  
**Juliana V:** Scandalous!

Dots dots dots.

 **Juliana V:** I think I can handle that. Let’s do it.

The next day, her phone rang and it was the number Valentina gave her, showing up on her screen. Why did this make her nervous? _Because you actually hate talking on the phone._

By the third ring, she knew she needed to answer. “Hello?”

“Hey… it’s Valentina.”

“Hey Val. I’m… glad you called.”

The flip in Valentina’s stomach after hearing Juliana’s greeting surprised her. Whether it was the diminutive nickname or the voice itself, she didn’t know.

“Is now a good time to talk? If you’re busy, that’s fine, I-” Juliana cut her off.

“Yes. I mean no,” Juliana grunted. “I mean - now’s great. I just finished staring at the ceiling for the last 20 minutes. So, you know. I have some time.”

Valentina smiled and released a breath. “Ok.”

Juliana wasn’t sure what she expected Valentina to sound like, but the gentleness in her voice disarmed her.

“So… how are you doing today? Do anything interesting?” Juliana asked.

“I’m doing fine… same as yesterday. Losing track of what day it is. Interesting? Hmm.. I attempted to bake something this morning.”

“Attempted?”

“Uh.. yes… I’m not much of a baker. Or cook. I uh.. Burned it and gave up.”

Juliana laughed. Valentina’s heart swelled at the sound. “Not allowed in the kitchen; noted,” Juliana quipped.

“Do you cook?” Valentina asked.

“I do, sometimes. I always wish I learned more from my mom when I was still home.”

Valentina hummed in understanding.

“Isn’t it weird how talking on the phone feels so...foreign?” Juliana asked after a few seconds of silence.

“It does, doesn’t it? I talk on the phone with my family all the time… but I know, it’s not how most people communicate anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ve spoken to anyone but my mom on the phone in… maybe months?”

“What?! That’s crazy. I would go insane without talking to my friends.”

“Well, I tend to be pretty introverted,” Juliana added pensively. “And all my energy is zapped after waitressing. I can’t explain how exhausting people are.”

“Ugh, I can imagine. My family in Mexico is… uh.. Well off. And I have seen some of the worst treatment of waitstaff by the wealthiest folks at various functions. It’s disgusting. For better or worse, my guilt over being remotely associated with that world has caused me to leave 40% tips every time I eat out.”

“Wow - I wish you came into my restaurant! Whatever the reason, that kind of tip is always welcome.”

“You never told me the name of the place you worked…”

“El Mercado - the place on Bleecker.”

“NO way! I love that place. I haven’t been in a while, but I wonder if I’ve seen you there before.”

“Well, I think I would’ve remembered you if I ever waited on your table.”

“Yeah, right. That place is always packed,” Valentina responded, chuckling.

“Val, I don’t think you understand how memorable your face is,” Juliana noted.

Valentina blushed at this admission.

“And I certainly wouldn’t forget a 40% tip,” Juliana added, slyly trying to quickly cover for revealing herself too much on this call. How could she explain that from just a few pictures and barely more than a week of (albeit constant) texting, she could not stop thinking about this girl and her piercing blue eyes. And those lips. And... _Stop it, Juliana._

Valentina laughed lightly. “Right. Well, I’ll have to make a point to make a reservation when this whole thing is over...”

“Lucky for you I know some people who can give you the VIP treatment,” Juliana replied.

“Oh do you now? And what does that entail exactly?” Valentina flirted back.

“Depends. Do I have to put up with those rich friends you mentioned?”

Valentina laughed. “No. And I’m more interested in experiencing the service for myself, anyway.”

Juliana swallowed thickly. This was flirting, right? That’s what they were doing? She felt her heart rate pick up as she thought about this was going to explode in her face any minute.

“Hm. Well then. Maybe we can try a different approach. Want to eat dinner with me Friday night?” Juliana asked nonchalantly, as if they weren’t supposed to be completely isolated from other people right now.

“Uh…” Valentina started, nervously. “I don’t think that’s a good--”

“No, no. Not in person….How about over Zoom? But with one request: text me an address for a good drop off location and leave the food up to me,” Juliana explained. She quickly added, “It doesn’t have to be your home address.”

“Okayyy,” Valentina answered, skeptically. “I’m game, Juliana the Mysterious. I’ll text you a good spot tomorrow.”

“Great! On that note...I’m off to bed.”

“Ok,” Valentina replied softly. “I’m looking forward to dinner, Juls.”

Juliana warmed at the nickname and smiled. “Yeah...me too.”

“I hope those COVID dreams take it easy on you tonight.”

Juliana laughed, remembering their conversation about the strange, vivid dreams she’d been having since this all started.

“Thanks, Val - I hope so too! Goodnight.”

Valentina thought it was interesting how you could hear smiles through the phone; she loved the sound of Juliana’s and she hoped hers was just as loud. “Goodnight.”

Juliana slept soundly that night, excited for the weekend for the first time in a long time.

*****

The next day, Juliana put her plan in motion. She texted one of the chef’s at El Mercado and managed to barter dog-sitting services for two orders of her favorite tacos and sides from the restaurant, packed separately.

Valentina texted her an address by noon and Juliana told her that food would be ready for pick up by 7pm. The spot was close enough to her place that she could drop off the food and get back to her place before it all got too cold.

By 6, got herself ready and was setting up a Zoom meeting when she was hit with a sudden bout of anxiety. _This is so stupid. What am I even doing?_ She couldn’t help but think while looking at the bizarre dating scenario she was establishing. It dawned on her that they haven’t really seen each other in real-time, beyond a few static photographs on the app, which made Juliana suddenly nervous and regretting her plan.

She took some deep breaths and reminded herself that this wasn’t normal life anymore; this was some surreal nightmare collectively experienced by the majority of the world. Which also meant that normal rules no longer applied. Who says this can’t be dating? Who says this is weird?

She calmed herself in time to see the text from her chef friend and knew it was go time. She texted Valentina when she was finally out the door.

 **Juliana:** Hey you - on my way to drop off the food. Use this link when you get home and I’ll join when I’m back at my place.

 **Valentina:** Ok! This is fun; I feel like I’m on some sort of treasure hunt.

Juliana laughed. She was glad the other girl was enjoying this.

 **Juliana:** Oh good! I hope you enjoy what you find at the end of it.

Dots appeared and disappeared a few times before the next message came through.

 **Valentina:** If it includes food I didn’t have to prepare and the company of a certain beautiful woman, it’s safe to say I will.

Juliana bit her lip, trying to think of the right response. She typed and deleted several messages, flustered by her inability to communicate her thoughts properly.

 **Juliana:** ;) Pick up in 10.  
**Juliana** : And don’t be late - it smells good and I wouldn’t blame someone else for picking it up!

Valentina watched Juliana approach from her apartment window. She debated going downstairs and saying hello in person, but it seemed out of place for the night they had planned. Instead, she took the opportunity to watch her saunter down the empty streets of the city, waves of dark hair cascading over the shoulders of her black leather jacket. She watched Juliana drop the food and head back in the direction from which she came before she texted her again.

 **Valentina:** That jacket looks good on you, by the way.

Juliana, already down the block, paused and looked back in the direction of the building, smiling.

 **Juliana:** I didn’t know I was being watched. You could have said hi, you know?  
**Valentina:** Sorry, I was too captivated to move.  
**Juliana:** Haha yeah, right. Anyone ever tell you that you’re a smooth talker?  
**Valentina:** Anyone ever tell you that you should do more walking and less texting? I want to eat!

Juliana laughed out loud and started walking again, texting back simultaneously.

 **Juliana:** Wow, impatient much?  
**Valentina:** A little. I mostly just want to see you again. The food’s just a bonus.

Juliana found herself picking up her pace to get home faster.

Back in her apartment, she grabbed her computer and logged into the Zoom meeting. She was welcomed by the image of Valentina sitting at what was presumably her kitchen table, looking down at her phone.

“She’s probably not gonna text you back,” Juliana said out loud. Valentina’s head popped up when she heard the voice and a broad smile flashed across her face when she saw Juliana smirking back at her.

“Hey! You’re here,” Valentina beamed.

“I’m here.” Juliana returned the smile. The two looked at each other through their respective screens, both wearing smiles that seemed to grow over the silent seconds until they both broke out into full on laughter.

“So! You have the food?” Juliana asked as she stripped herself of her jacket and started to unpack her own items.

Valentina was momentarily distracted by the dip of Juliana’s collar bones under her silk tank top and her sudden urge to touch her skin. “I - uh” she cleared her throat. “Yup! It smells amazing.”

“What you have there are tacos al pastor with a side of Chef Jose’s spicy take on Peruvian tacu tacu. He only breaks that out for our VIP customers,” Juliana added with a quick wink.

Valentina’s smile remained, coupled with a look of astoundment. “You got your chef to prepare food for us in the midst of all this craziness?”

Juliana smiled back as she continued to prepare the food to eat. “Just be sure to mention the stellar service in your review.” Valentina smiled with her lower lip caught between her teeth, finding herself increasingly enamored with the girl in front of her.

Juliana continued, “Ok. I know it’s pretty much the most unflattering thing ever to eat in front of a laptop camera, but I am starving and want you to eat it before the food gets cold. So, dig in!”

The two women started eating their food, the silence punctuated by soft groans of satisfaction from both parties. After finishing off one taco, Valentina spoke up.

“Juls, these are amazing. They remind me so much of the ones at home.” Juliana couldn’t help but smile as she watched the sheer joy on Valentina’s face as she proceeded to move on to the other food components.

“I’m so glad you like them. Jose is the best; he feels like a slice of home, himself.”

“Tell me what you miss the most about Mexico,” Valentina asked. They continued their conversation over the course of their meal with the fluid back and forth that had come so easily to their exchanges. Once they finished their meals and cleaned up a bit, Valentina poured herself some wine on her end of the video chat. “Want some?” she offered towards the screen.

Juliana laughed. “No, thank you. I don’t drink much, actually.” Valentina’s eyebrows slid up her forehead. “No?”

“Nope. I mean, I’ll have a beer here and there or the occasional glass of wine, but it’s just not my thing,” Juliana added with a shrug.

“That’s cool… I can’t say the same, I think COVID made my drinking habits worse… but once I realized I probably shouldn’t be looking for mezcal at 3pm, I started to back off,” Valentina said. She laughed but it was clearly out of discomfort. _What the hell Valentina? Way to make yourself sound like an alcoholic_ , she thought, cringing internally.

Juliana smiled softly. “Hey, these are rough times. No judgment here.” And what was nice, Valentina recognized, was that she meant it.

She smiled back at Juliana. “Well, join me on the couch at least?” Juliana laughed again. “Sure!” And they both moved themselves and their respective laptops to their living room spaces.

“You know, I thought this would maybe be awkward, but… it’s not. Like at all,” Juliana noted once they were comfortably settled and talking through their screens. She watched as Valentina stripped herself of her cardigan, leaving only a tank top with a draping neckline.

“I know. It’s refreshingly easy to talk to you,” Valentina said as she tossed her hair to the side. She scanned Juliana’s face for a beat before continuing. “I just wish..um, I wish that you could actually be here, though.” Valentina held Juliana’s stare a moment longer before dipping her head, a light red shade creeping up her face.

“I do, too,” Juliana responded with a soft smile, mindlessly caressing her own fingers that were dangling from her arm resting on the back of the couch. Valentina found herself staring at Juliana’s hands, at the repetitive motion, at Juliana’s fingers. That urge returned to reach out and touch the woman across from her, blunted by the presence of a screen; her hands found her own necklace to fiddle with instead.

Juliana followed Valentina’s sight line and stopped her movements. “Sorry - my hands like to keep busy,” she said with a sheepish smile.

Valentina met her eyes through the screen again. “Again - we could fix that if you were here.” Juliana tried to hide her smile as she dropped her eyes briefly. Who’s blushing now? Valentina thought.

If Juliana was brazen, maybe she would admit how much her hands were itching to grab Valentina’s in her own. To caress her seemingly flawless skin. But she wasn’t, not yet.

Juliana cleared her throat. “I… you…really make a girl want to break quarantine.”

Valentina held their renewed eye contact. “If I’m being honest - this is not the first time tonight that I wanted to reach through this screen.”

Juliana smiled and exhaled. “Do you consider yourself a very ‘touchy’ person?”

Valentina thought for a moment. “Yeah, I am.” If there was anything the isolation highlighted for Valentina, it was her need for human touch and, in this case, how natural her instinct was to reach for someone she connected with. “Something about actual human contact seems to soften every moment - good, bad, or otherwise.”

“It can.” Juliana was quiet for a few seconds before continuing. “It’s not something that comes naturally for me, though...casual touching to show affection.”

“Hm. Well, we all have our ways. What made you realize that?”

“It was pointed out to me in a past relationship and I’ve thought a lot about it since then. Growing up, the touches I saw were rarely from a place of affection and I just… somewhere along the way must have learned it was better to keep my hands to myself.” Juliana finished this last part quietly.

Valentina’s heart broke slightly at this admission. Her eyes scanned Juliana’s downcast features across her screen. She placed her wine glass down and sat up a bit before speaking again. “I’m sorry to hear that, Juls. For me...it’s like a second way of speaking. Like right now, if I was there, I would have probably placed my hand on your thigh, likely without even realizing it. In some attempt to convey comfort and support.” She paused, watching Juliana’s eyes scan her own, the open gaze egging her on.

“And I would have loved if you chose to occupy your hand by caressing the skin across my shoulder as it made its way to my neck.” Valentina said this while she slid her own hand gently to her neck and then let her fingers slide down the front of her blouse, ghosting her fingers along her skin.

Juliana’s fingers twitched and the vision. She felt her pulse quicken. She licked her lips. “That sounds nice… anything else?”

Valentina’s face softened with a simultaneous darkening of her eyes. “Well, if you were looking at me like you are right now, I would have a hard time refraining from sliding my hand up to your waist. Anchoring myself to you, grazing my fingers under that silk top you’re wearing.”

Juliana’s chest was swelling and falling at a heavier rate than was normal for being completely alone in her apartment. It was starting to physically hurt not to be able to touch Valentina while she was dictating this play by play. _Speak, Juliana_ , she mentally scolded herself.

“I..uh. I think I would like that. A lot.” _Real smooth._

Valentina smirked and replied, “I mean, it’s ok if you didn’t. I would stop. I’d never want to make you uncomfortable...We could just talk and eventually I’d thank you for dinner and leave--”

“No!” Juliana blurted out.

Valentina’s eyebrows went up at this and her smile grew slightly. Once Juliana’s embarrassment subsided, so did hers. “I meant. I wouldn’t want you to leave. Or to stop.” She maintained eye contact across the screen.

“Ok.” Valentina whispered, nodding slightly.

Juliana took a deep breath and gathered some courage to be as forthright as Valentina had been. “I… really want to touch you, too. Your skin…” Juliana trailed off as her eyes roamed over the expanse of Valentina’s arms and exposed neck. She swallowed and snapped her eyes back to meet Valentina’s. “...but what I really want to know is what your lips would feel like on mine.”

Valentina stared back through the screen, a gentle exhale escaping from her slightly parted lips. She bit the inside of her lower lip. “Juls - I…” Valentina tried to steady her breathing, surprised at how turned on she was by them simply talking about touching each other. “Do you think we could um, make a plan to see each other at some point? I don’t know how, or what’s safe, but…”

Juliana’s thoughts were on the same track and she jumped in quickly. “Yeah - definitely. What if… what if we commit to staying completely isolated for another week, and then have a real date. Like in person. Like in my apartment...or yours, it doesn’t matter…” Juliana proposed.

A smile lit up Valentina’s face. “I like that plan. I mean, we’ve both been isolated, right? So the risk of us having this thing is low…”

“Exactly. I will even get my groceries delivered and wash them when they arrive,” she laughed. “And I promise not to see anyone between now and then,” Juliana added with a smile. “Deal?” She lifted her pinky to the laptop camera.

Valentina laughed and lifted her own. “Deal.”

After a few more silent seconds, Valentina spoke. “Ok Juls, I think I need to go take a cold shower now. But, uh… we’ll talk tomorrow?”

Juliana laughed. “Sure - sounds like a plan, morrita.”

Valentina tried to suppress a giddy smile. “Thank you for dinner. This was fantastic. Really,” Valentina added, her blue eyes shining through the computer.

“I’m so glad you liked it,” Juliana replied, drawing out the silence in her reluctance to end the conversation. “Let me know how memorable it is after that shower, though, yeah?”

Valentina laughed and rolled her eyes. “Goodnight, Juls.”

“Goodnight, Val.”

*****

The next day, Juliana kept herself busy with some exercise in her apartment and overdue cleaning. Towards the late afternoon, she sat by her window and watched the eerily deserted streets. So surreal, she thought. She winced at yet another ambulance siren suddenly blaring through the street.

Eventually, she forced herself to throw together something simple for dinner. Afterwards, she got herself ready for bed and settled on the couch to binge some mindless show. Not long into her Netflix marathon, her phone rang. Her stomach fluttered when she caught the name on the screen. “Hola, hermosa.”

Valentina smiled; her heart skipped at the silky voice on the other end of the end. “Hola, Juls. How are you?”

“I’m ok. Being lazy on the couch. You?”

“Pretty much the same. Tucked in my bed though - I was so cold today!”

Juliana smiled at the adorable whine coming through the phone. “Aww. Yeah, it’s chilly today. I would love to be there to keep you warm.”

Valentina perked at this. “I don’t know, Juls. I’m always cold, you know. You’d have your work cut out for you.”

Juliana smirked on her end. “Well, lucky for you, I tend to run pretty warm. And - for the record- I’m not a stranger to putting in the work.”

Valentina flushed a bit more at the lower tone in Juliana’s reply.

“Which reminds me… how’d that shower work out for you last night?” Juliana wasn’t usually so forward, but she admittedly spent much of the day thinking of the other woman’s insinuations from the night before.

“Mmm... let’s just say it didn’t cool me down as much as I had initially intended.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Juliana continued.

Valentina paused for a moment and decided she was all for wherever this was heading. “Well, I tried to just focus on getting myself ready for bed. But for some reason, I had these honeyed brown eyes burned into my retinas. I uh…. I couldn’t stop thinking about running my fingers across your skin….and how badly I wanted to kiss you…”

Juliana’s pulse quickened. “Mhm. That sounds pretty distracting.”

“It was.”

Juliana pushed forward. “Seeing as you’re not still in the shower, I’m guessing you found a way to un-distract yourself?”

“Indeed I did.” Valentina flashed back to herself in the shower with her own hands sliding down her body as the hot water cascaded on her from above. “Are you asking for details?” Valentina asked coyly, continuing to gauge how far down this road they’d take this.

Juliana shut off her TV completely and gave her full attention to the woman on the phone. “Are you offering to give them?”

Valentina smirked. “Only because you seem so concerned,” she teased. Juliana laughed lightly on the other end of the call.

Valentina continued. “Well, after all the talking about touch and our plans, I… I just needed…” she hesitated, “I mean, my hands on my own skin is certainly not the same…”

Juliana swallowed audibly. “No…”

“But, in my mind, they were your fingers snaking against me. It was your jawline I was dragging my tongue across.” Valentina felt herself warming at the recollection, and at hearing Juliana trying to control her heavy breathing through the phone. Juliana for her part didn’t even realize she had begun to trail her fingers across her own abdomen while listening to the story.

“Yeah? What did they feel like?” Juliana rasped out.

Valentina smiled and hummed lightly. “Mm. Firm. Slippery. They slid down between my legs and were quick to find what I was looking for.”

“Quick huh? You sure they didn’t move slowly… teasing through the wetness that I know was there?” Juliana asked, more confidence peeking through her voice.

A strangled noise left Valentina’s throat when she tried to respond. She closed her eyes and started to imagine this scene instead of herself alone in the shower. “Is that..” she started before clearing her throat to start again. “Is that what you would have done? If you were there?”

Juliana smiled. Her heart was pounding in her chest from a mix of both nerves and excitement. But she was enjoying this too much to even consider stopping. “If I was there, Val, I would have most definitely taken my time with you.”

Valentina’s heart was beating hard against her chest. “Tell me, Juls - tell me what you would do if you were here now,” she panted out.

“Now? Well, I’d continue where you left off in that shower. I’d kiss you, repeatedly. Take my time tasting you - your lips… your face… your neck. And my hands… they would graze the skin on your hips. Under your shirt. Anywhere my fingertips could start mapping the contours of your frame, committing them to memory.”

Valentina was starting to lose herself on her end of the line. She was sprawled across her bed, eyes closed, wearing her sleep shirt and shorts with her left hand holding the phone and right hand slowly sliding down towards her waist band. “I’d like that,” Valentina breathed out.

“I’d slide your shirt off before removing my own. And-” Juliana momentarily broke the suave voice she was using, as if stepping out of character, “wait - are you wearing pants?”

Valentina laughed lightly. “Yes - shorts.”

“Ok,” Juliana laughed too before jumping right back into a suaver voice. “Then I’d run my finger along the waistband of your shorts while just barely connecting my lips to yours.”

Juliana heard shuffling on the other end of the line. “Too slow - they’re gone,” Valentina said.

Juliana gulped. “Are you… just in your underwear now?”

“Yes. And you?” Valentina asked, biting her lip on the other end of the line.

“Hold on.” Juliana decided to move herself to her bedroom, put the phone on speaker, and quickly ripped off her own shirt and yoga pants. “Ok. Now we match.”

Valentina closed her eyes again, imagining what Juliana would look like in only her underwear. She responded simply, “good.”

“Now, where was I?” Juliana started again.

“Um..your hands were traveling south and I was enjoying every minute of it,” Valentina responded.

Juliana smiled. “Mm. Right - In that case, my hands can resume their trajectory. But, Val?”

“Yeah?” she breathed out.

“This view - from above, nestled between your legs - is incredible.”

Valentina let her hand trail down further. “Touch me, Juliana,” she said in a voice bordering on desperate.

Juliana, ever obedient to those she cared about, didn’t need to be told twice. “I’m dragging my fingers down across your abs and under the waistband of your underwear. I’d slowly trail them from your entrance to your clit, and back. Over and over.”

Valentina mimicked Juliana’s dictated movements with her own fingers, moaning softly at the touch.

By this point, Juliana started to touch herself as well, slowly, as to not get too ahead of herself. She was unraveling at the breathy noises coming from the other woman.

“What else, Juls?” Valentina asked, her voice laced with urgency.

“I’d circle your clit, changing speed and pressure to adjust to those noises coming from your mouth.”

“I need more,” Valentina uttered in between heavy breaths.

“I’d slide my fingers further down… you’re so wet, baby.” She was talking about herself, but Valentina only confirmed it by adding, “I am. I’m so ready for you.”

Juliana was so turned on by the words and Valentina’s near pleading tone. “I’m pushing my fingers into you now. Slowly. Curling up slightly, feeling how you responded.”

“Juliana” Valentina moaned as she entered herself, envisioning it was Juliana above her.

“Are you fucking yourself, Val? Imagining it’s me?” Juliana’s directness grew with her arousal; she needed to hear her say it out loud.

“Yes, Juls. God, yes!”

Juliana could hear rhythmic movements and heavy breathing. “Good. Go faster. I’d give you whatever you wanted, Val.”

Only erratic half moans and heavy sighs could be heard from the other end of the line. “I’m - I’m close--”

Juliana picked up her own movements, rubbing against her own clit in time with Valentina’s breaths. In the next instant, all that was left was the sound of strangled moans of both women climaxing, riding out their orgasms. Alone, together.

Seconds passed. Then minutes, while their breaths slowed and the lust-covered fog lifted. Juliana stared at her ceiling, one hand resting on her heart and the other splayed over her mouth. She turned her head to the phone lying next to her.

“Val?”

Valentina, in a similar mix of placidity and uncertainty, answered, “hey - yeah. I’m here.”

Juliana laughed lightly. “Oh, good. Glad I didn’t lose you.”

“No - I’m... good. That was…” Valentina trailed off, still a bit breathless.

“Unexpected,” Juliana finished.

Valentina laughed. “Yes. Definitely unexpected.”

“But... not unwelcome?” Juliana tried to hide the insecurity creeping into her voice.

“Uh, no. In case you couldn’t tell, it was, in fact, very welcomed,” Valentina reassured her.

“Ok. For me, too.” Juliana bit her lip, unsure of the etiquette of next steps.

“So uh… 6 more days, huh?” Valentina quipped.

Juliana laughed. “Hmm.. more like 5 since this day is basically over.”

“I like the way you think, Valdes.” A soft smile spread across Juliana’s face. She knew the other woman learned her surname after following her professional Instagram, but also realized she still didn’t know hers.

“You know - I’m still in the dark about your last name. What is it?” Juliana asked.

Valentina pushed down her discomfort, knowing she couldn’t hide it forever. She cleared her throat. “Carvajal.”

“Oh. Cool. That’s pretty.”

Valentina was relieved, if not slightly surprised, when she realized this did not register any meaning to Juliana. They sat in silence for a moment longer, both feeling the tiredness settle into their bones.

“Juls?”

“Yeah, Val?”

“Can you tell me a story?”

Juliana released a breathy laugh. “Like, a bedtime story?”

“Yeah. Please? I like your voice.” Neither could see the blush on each other’s faces but it seemed to be mutually felt, anyway.

“Ok. Sure,” Juliana responded, realizing full well that she already had a hard time saying no to this woman.

That night, Valentina fell asleep to the sounds of Juliana softly regaling her with stories from her youth and getting lost in Manhattan her first month there. She couldn’t recall a time when she felt so at ease.

*****

The next 5 days crawled. Both women did their best to stay busy. They chatted, watched a movie through video chat, and even attempted a virtual yoga class together. They watched as their city plummeted into dire straits, wracked by death and overrun hospital floors. They checked on their friends and family, donated what they could to various mutual aid organizations, and lamented the state of the world.

In spite - or perhaps because - of the seemingly apocalyptic state of things, the anticipation for their in person meeting was uncontainable. A bright spot of normalcy and enjoyment in a world of disarming upheaval.

They agreed to meet at Juliana’s apartment for dinner. Based on Valentina’s self-evaluation of her cooking, Juliana thought it was best if she prepared the food. Valentina opted to bring some take-out dessert from a local bakery that was doing their best to stay in business.

At 7pm on the dot, Juliana heard a knock on her apartment door. She opened it to find blue eyes and a mask staring back at her. Valentina handed Juliana a small, hand-wrapped bouquet of wild flowers to free up a hand to remove the mask from her face.

“Hi,” Valentina said with a relieved exhale. Juliana smiled brightly. “Hi! Come in.” She closed the door after Valentina entered. “I’m glad it was you under there - is that what everyone looks like out there now?” she asked.

Valentina laughed as she set down the dessert box and removed her scarf and jacket. “Yeah. It definitely feels weird. You can’t read people’s facial cues. But, they say they really help cut down the spread.”

Juliana hummed in agreement. “Thank you for these,” she said, nodding to the flowers.

“You’re welcome. They grow wild alongside my building. So, in lieu of florists being open…” Valentina wore a purposely awkward smile coupled with a shrug.

Juliana’s smile remained. “They’re perfect,” she said and quickly busied herself with finding a vessel for the flowers.

In the meantime, Valentina took in Juliana’s apartment. The photographs on the walls, the small plants, compact furniture. The outdated kitchen and finishes, as was common in most ‘affordable’ NYC apartments.

After she settled the flowers, Juliana leaned back on her kitchen counter, watching Valentina survey the surroundings. She fought an urge to hug her from behind, remembering that they hadn’t even had any physical contact between them yet.

Valentina turned to catch the other girl staring. “You ok?” she asked.

Juliana met her eyes. “Yeah - I’m great,” she smiled back. “Can I get you something to drink? I bought wine - I figured red was good based on what I’ve seen you drink.”

Valentina watched Juliana grab the wine bottle and start to search a counter drawers for a corkscrew. She walked over to her slowly and stopped Juliana’s frantic searching with a gentle touch to her arm. Juliana stopped instantly and looked up.

Valentina smiled at her without breaking the gentle grasp on her wrist. “Hey. Slow down.”

Juliana released a breath and smiled back. “Yeah, ok. Sorry. I just.. It’s funny how this feels comfortable but it’s also the first time we’re actually seeing each other.”

Valentina smiled back. “Well, it’s not really the first time. Besides, you know me better than most people at this point,”-- she said as she continued to stroke her thumb across Juliana’s wrist-- “but I know what you mean.” She scanned the eyes in front of her, noting that Juliana was making no motion to pull away from her grasp.

Juliana involuntarily flickered her eyes down to Valentina’s lips before returning to her eyes. They both moved without noticing, connecting their lips, and subsequently exhaling into the kiss, infusing them both with a sense of release.

They lingered there for a moment before it broke, just as seamlessly as it started. Valentina held Juliana’s stare and spoke, inches from her lips. “Red’s good,” she said before dropping her grip on Juliana’s wrist.  
*****  
Dinner and conversation flowed easily, as did the bouts of loud laughter and several glasses of wine; Juliana caught herself pondering which was more intoxicating.

They eventually found their way to the couch and turned on a movie. Some combination of full bellies and a kicked bottle of wine resulted in two women asleep before the movie’s end. Hours later, Juliana stirred from a sound of a neighbor's slamming door. She startled, but quickly stilled, noting the warm body pressed against her. In the next instant, she registered where she was and the degree to which her neck was sore. And, more than that, who was lying next to her. Her efforts not to move were for naught, however, as Valentina started to blink awake.

“Oh shit - did we fall asleep?” Valentina asked, groggily opening an eye.

“Yup,” Juliana said, prying herself from the couch and offering an outstretched hand. “Come on.”

Valentina blinked at her, confused and still half asleep.

“Let’s go to bed, princess. It’s like 3am,” Juliana said, half smirking. Valentina was too tired to argue; she grabbed Juliana’s hand and let her guide her to Juliana’s room. Without thinking, Valentina threw off her shirt and pants and immediately buried herself under the covers. Juliana watched her and laughed to herself when it became apparent that the other woman was already on her way back to her dream state.

Juliana left to brush her teeth and, when she returned to her bedroom, hesitated briefly on whether to slide into bed next to Valentina. _I think you are a little past that, don’t you think?_ she thought as she rolled her eyes at herself.

She changed into a t-shirt and slipped delicately under the covers. Juliana laid there on her back, thinking of how unexpected this whole thing was. Ending up here, next to this bubbly, thoughtful woman who was a stranger less than a month ago. Here, in the middle of a pandemic and global crisis.

Juliana turned her head and stared at the light brown hair splayed out around her. Without being able to contain herself she dipped her head down and inhaled the scent of Valentina, her eyes closing at the action. She breathed out slowly and made her move: she turned onto her side and molded her torso close along Valentina’s backside, hovering an outstretched arm mid air while she waited for any response from the sleeping girl next to her. When none came, she draped the arm around Valentina’s waist and tucked herself slightly closer. She placed a quiet kiss against the bare shoulder in front of her and waited to drift to sleep.

But then, she felt what feels like coming home after a long journey, like wrapping yourself in freshly washed sheets; like softness and wholeness. Like peace. In one movement, Valentina snuggled backwards tighter into Juliana’s body, grabbed the softly draped hand and pressed it close against her stomach. “Goodnight, Juls.”

And with that mumbled whisper, Juliana knew - like with much of the rest of life - there was no going back to normal after this.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I KNOW I still owe the last chapter of Fighting Through the Darkness, but it has been difficult to write and this one just came pouring out of me. For those who care, I promise that will still happen. 
> 
> Always love to hear your thoughts. Stay safe.


End file.
